Authorities misidentify dead woman

DAILY SOUND STAFF REPORT

Authorities misidentified a woman killed on Highway 101 near Garden Street on Sunday.
CHP Spokesman Don Clotworthy said the actual victim, a 38-year-old woman, and the person originally identified as the victim, Elizabeth Anne Vallejo, had similar features and characteristics that led to the mistake.

“Positive forensic identification was made on the victim this morning and she is not Elizabeth Anne Vallejo,” Clotworthy said. “The correct victim has been positively identified but her next of kin has not yet been notified of her death. ... We sincerely apologize for the error in identifying the wrong individual killed in this collision.”
Officials said the victim is believed to be a homeless woman who lived in Santa Barbara, and toxicology results are pending to determine if she was under the influence at the time of the incident. Authorities said the victim was crossing the northbound lanes of Highway 101 when she was struck and killed by a passing car.